Welcome to Ways of Healing with Cancer, a resource for those whose lives have been touched by cancer, created by those who have lived with terminal cancer longer than predicted. We give special appreciation to the scientific research of David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD, whose book Anticancer offers medical wisdom and hope in the face of any cancer diagnosis. We also give special thanks to the clinical studies of Herbert Benson, MD, whose book The Relaxation Response outlines the physiological benefits of meditation. One of the premises of both books is that we can all fully participate in our treatment, our healing, and our lives.

We also give special thanks to the outliers who have shared with us their experiences and the lessons they have learned. An outlier is someone who does better than clinically expected. Outliers have a myriad of ways of healing: strategies, techniques, rituals and beliefs. While these ways of healing are unique, outliers share a common thread: they wish to include themselves in the process. They are the captain of their ship. They research treatment options and the work of specific doctors. They ask multiple questions, and will only go forward with a treatment if they understand its value to their overall health. They will find and assemble a medical team of those who support the way they wish to approach their illness, and their healing.

The outliers involved with Ways of Healing with Cancer see a cancer diagnosis not as a crisis but as a golden opportunity to learn about their own bodies, right down to the DNA and cell receptors. They view a diagnosis as something deeper than a physical deviation. They look for these deeper lessons that affect mind, body and soul.

We know, thanks to the work of Dr. Herbert Benson, Dr. David Servan-Schreiber, Dr. O. Carl Simonton, and countless others, that meditation, nutrition, and envisioning all play a real and vital role in our overall health and healing, in terms that are scientifically measurable. And we also know, intuitively, that in attempting to tap into the unknown healing resources of the brain, we are creating a new path to fully partake in our own journey.

Cancer can be a chance to reflect, to take time for one’s own needs, and to engage in acts of self-love and self-healing. We believe in you and wish you the very best.